


Dying's the Easy Part

by dancewaterdance



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Trans Demyx, chest injury, nort'd demyx
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-11 10:07:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20544389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dancewaterdance/pseuds/dancewaterdance
Summary: A more violent reunion happens between Demyx and Ienzo. Can they still pick up the pieces? Or is everything already said and done. Thread written before kh3 came out. So now just a "what if" scenario. Norting = possessed by Xehanort theory in play.





	1. Oceans Rise

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! It's 9/6 so I figured I'd post the longest Zemyx thread from my old rp blog. My old blog and the Ienzo blog I rp'd with are deactivated now. So I compiled all the replies into this fic. It doesn't really have a set ending because of that. But it does get to Zemyx shippy stuff.
> 
> As mentioned in the summary. This was written before kh3 came out. Basically right after we saw Demyx portal into Ienzo's lab with yellow eyes. This was a few months before we got the trailer that showed nort'd Demyx was still just Demyx. So this thread was running on the idea that if Demyx was nort'd he was possessed and therefore way more evil. I has a few more things written with this version of nort'd Demyx that I might post in the future. But I'd have to get permission for the other rp muns before posting.
> 
> This fic also includes Trans! Demyx and it does affect the plot of this fic FYI. The link to the original thread is going to be at the top of each chapter. Just so the original source is credited.
> 
> Anyway hope you guys enjoy ch.1 and are ready for the other 10,000 words we wrote.

<https://schemingthroughdarkness.tumblr.com/post/178627410996/alolaform-demyx-no-it-cant-be-ienzo-announces>

_“No it can’t be,“_ Ienzo announces to the hooded figure standing before him, the grip from a gloved hand tightens around his wrist. The hood falls backwards revealing a familiar face; Demyx. Golden eyes that were once a set of aquamarine, glared down at Ienzo’s piercing blue.

Ienzo’s heart begins to race, something that he’d grown all too familiar with within the last several days. In a rush of silent panic, Ienzo jerks his wrist back far too quickly from his old friend. Anger quickly replacing the initial panic as he reaches for a nearby book. _“Touch me one more time and I will not hesitate to break your goddamn arms.“ _He all but growls out taking a quick second to evaluate his options.

Demyx’s glare changes into a small smirk. He seems not to care that his identity was revealed. He allows Ienzo to pull his arm free. His mission was to keep Ienzo here, away from the rest of the fight. The light keyblade wielders would have a difficult time counter-attacking without their strategist.

“Now Zexion breaking arms is a rude thing to do to old friends.” Demyx steps closer gold eyes flashing. “What are you honestly surprised to see me? And here I thought you planned for every possible outcome.”

Ienzo takes a step back as Demyx moves forward giving himself another moment to assess the situation. His rear brushes against the desk as he does so. Anyone who ever knew Zexion knew he wasn’t one to dirty his hands with senseless fighting, frankly Ienzo still held the same standard. His greatest weapon he had would always be his words.

“Who said anything about us being friends?” The schemer snaps a snide remark, “If I properly recall you were one of the most _useless_ affiliates the Organization had to offer. Nothing more than a lethargic tool who preferred to ‘scout’ abandoned worlds just to get a quick nap in.” The urge to summon his Lexicon sits at his fingertips. He studied the outcomes, but out of all of them, he never saw Demyx as an asset for someone’s plans such as Xehanort.

“You really don’t know.” Demyx pauses in his advance and smirks. “Was Axel too busy to fill you in? Zexion’s death greatly affected Demyx’s usefulness to the organization. Guess you could say that he _missed_ you.” The current Demyx speaks in monotone seeming to not care about what he was saying one way or the other.

“Regardless this vessel is incredibly useful to the seekers of darkness. He has the ability to bring any living creature to its knees, given the right motivation of course.” Demyx casually summons a ball of water, the water is polluted seeping with darkness. He knows Ienzo will summon the Lexicon in response. He is almost counting on it.

Demyx referring to himself in third person sat uncomfortably in Ienzo’s stomach. Lea and Ienzo rarely had spoken to one another since becoming somebodies once more. Perhaps it had something to do with how Le-Axel was the one to kill him back in the lowest floor of Castle Oblivion. None of that mattered though, not now at least.

“I highly doubt he noticed I was even gone.” He growls out, while remaining guarded his hand quickly extends, darkness pooling and swirling around it as a light flashes producing his Lexicon. Though instead of its traditional black cover, it has almost resembles that of a zebra. A new Lexicon with the power of both Darkness and Light seeping through its pages. Foreign words slip off his tongue as he grins.

“Show me how useful he really is then.” Ienzo gears himself up to fight.

“He noticed a lot of things Zexion. Why do you think he was always on recon?” Demyx moves the water orb from one hand to the other. “It’s one of the few ways he was useful to the old organization, spying on you nobodies.”

Demyx grinned as the Lexicon was summoned. Finally a fight. “It would be my pleasure.” Demyx releases his hold on the water orb. Large fast blasts of water release and shoot straight for Ienzo. Demyx uses his second hand to pool more water into the room. He makes no move to summon his Sitar.

“Ah, yes. His recon missions that he never bothered to report on unless Saix was nearly skinning him alive for it.” Ienzo laughs at the memory to successfully mask the realization that Demyx’s intel would incriminate almost every member of the former Organization. His own words included. It’s enough of a startling revelation that he takes the hit of water.

*CRACK*

The water shoots straight towards him gashing against his midsection and arm. The gush rips open his lab coat and shirt and exposing now bleeding flesh. Whether he broke an arm or a rib no one could be sure. He drops his weapon hissing in pain.

“I-Is that the best you can do? Not much of a fight if you ask me.” He can’t help but remark with a wicked grin across his face. Reaching for his book he casts a quick Blizzarda in Demyx’s direction, more importantly his hands.

Demyx releases a deranged cackle at the sight of first blood. “I forget how easily you somebody’s break. So many bloody bits and guts to lose. And let’s not forget those flimsy hearts of yours.” The old Demyx would never say such things. Blood made him nauseous and the human heart had been very important to him.

Demyx raises a wall of water and has it take the Blizzarda. He casually walked around the wall of ice and looked down at Ienzo on the ground water pooling around his feet. “Something tells me I don’t need to put much more effort into this.”

“You’re demented.“ Ienzo grunts from the floor. The water wetting his coat as it turns into a diluted red mixing with his blood. The Lexicon slowly fading as it becomes saturated. The closer Demyx got the more on fire Ienzo’s chest felt. It had become a clear impression that Ienzo wasn’t as skilled of a fighter as he once was as Zexion.

“You know, I’m quite surprised. Despite being controlled and brain washed… you’re still the same… stupid… Demyx.“ The apprentice croaks out making another feeble attempt to cast another spell. This time a Thundara. The sparks lighting the room, Ienzo flickering just briefly. “Something tells me that you’re underestimating this entire situation.”

Demyx levitates an isolated ball of water. Ienzo can see a glint of something reflecting in the ball a split second before his Thundara hits the ball instead of Demyx. Demyx tosses the super charged ball away, it hits the wall of ice, shattering it. Ice rains down between the two.

“A lightning attack against a water user. Truly a genius and original idea from our local nerd.” Demyx layers the sarcasm on thick. “You really don’t know what you’re dealing with do you?” Demyx lazily flicks a finger and Ienzo’s soaked Lexicon is sent flying across the room.

As anticipated, Demyx reflects the electric attack to his orb rather than take the hit. Ice shards raining down on both of them. Ienzo watches as his Lexicon skids away. An almost saddened look crosses his face as his beloved weapon was discarded across the room. Instead of making a move Ienzo looks up at his old colleague, his blue eyes staring back at piercing golden. He can’t help but laugh.

“You still haven’t figured it out yet have you?“ Ienzo begins to fade from existence, the blood colored water fading with it along with him. An illusion, a trap to catch Demyx off guard. In attempts to blind his foe, he casts a spell of light in a strong photograph like burst. 

“_Lapis manus.(stone hand)_” Ienzo’s mutters swinging his fist, connecting it roughly to Demyx’s jaw.

Demyx hadn’t expected it to be an illusion. The blood, it had thrown him off. He never bothered to think of Ienzo making his illusions bleed. Demyx is blinded by the light spell. Ienzo’s stone fist hits him squarely in the jaw. He stumbles back and crouches on the floor stunned by the solid hit.

Demyx snorts, he spits up a glob of saliva, it’s stained red. “So you finally got a hit in.” Demyx’s golden eyes turn in Ienzo’s direction. It’s clear his eyes are still blinded.

“But was it really worth it to reveal your true location?” Demyx pushes a large wave of water to where Ienzo had been standing when he punched him. The wave doesn’t seem to be meant for damage so much as to keep Ienzo back while Demyx adjusts and gets his eye sight back.

Ienzo’s voice jumps to Demyx’s ear, giving him the idea he was standing right next to him as he continues to be blinded. There’s a hint of satisfaction in his tone, “Who said I revealed my true location?”

It’s true, he may have given away his location, or perhaps as usual he’s hiding behind another illusion. With a wave of his hand he duplicates himself, “_See my illusions!”_ He hisses out. Both of which mirror each other identically as the wave pushes them backwards, and rather than fight the wave, they go with it. “Are you alright? You look as though you’re seeing double.” Both of them say in sync, heads and gestures matching up to a T.

Demyx squints, his eye sight has returned enough for him to tell there are two figures now. He quickly glances to the side he thought he heard the whisper not seeing anything immediately. Before turning back and sending an actual attack towards the two Ienzo’s in his water.

The water that had been pushing the two back stops. Quickly the water rushes up in a rotating cylinder surrounding them head to toe. “Careful Zexion, your last words might be a shitty pun.”

Ienzo seems by undisturbed by the water cycling around him, actually it gives him a chance to break out one of his abilities, _Cyclone Snatch. _With a snap of his fingers the water under Demyx control becomes his… Wait.

_Snap._

_What? Why wasn’t it working?_ Both Ienzo’s start gasping for air. Terror slowly setting in, Panic causes him to struggle a bit more. Maybe this was it, maybe Demyx really did evolve into a superior fighter. Soon enough Ienzo squeezes his eyes tight, both him and the double relax, their limbs going limp. Unconsciousness seemingly taking hold. 

Demyx eyesight fully returns to him and he steps over to the two struggling Ienzo’s. He chuckles when he sees Ienzo try to snap his fingers. Was Ienzo so desperate as to try and take control of Demyx’s water? No one commanded his water but him. Demyx watches mentally counting as Ienzo’s struggling slows and then stops.

“Looks like that’s the end of the fun.” Demyx releases the cyclones and they drop the unconscious bodies. Ienzo wasn’t dead; Master Xehanort hadn’t ordered Demyx to kill him. Demyx casually walks over and nudges Ienzo’s side with his foot. “Really I expected more of a fight from you Zexion.”

Ienzo let out a choked gasp as he hits the floor, his illusion dissipating in black and white tendrils of smoke. His eyes snap open as he looks up at Demyx, no sense fighting the situation when you’ve got your back cornered against a wall, or this case the floor.

Demyx could easily kill him, and Ienzo could just as easily turn the tables, though something deep inside conflicts him from actually making any devastating blows.

“Oh really? And here I thought the party was just getting started.” He coughs a little bit of excess water slowly sitting up and making it to his feet. “Come on, can’t you keep the beat?”

Blink. Demyx laughs. “You are the one struggling to stand here. A slight push and you will end up on your ass again.” Demyx calls the water back to him with a wave of his hand. He watches as Ienzo slowly stands. Now would be an easy time to take him out, but that would ruin the _fun_.

“I can keep the _beat_ anytime Ienzo. The question is how long can _you_.” His grin turns sinister again. The water around the room turns choppy as if being pushed by a large wind. Slowly balls of water start to rise out of it and take humanoid form behind Demyx.

“After all these years and your water clones are still struggling to hold themselves together, and here I thought I taught you better than that.” Ienzo stands tall letting out a sharp exhale. He’s not going to back down. Sure he might be a little out of breath from a case of slight asphyxiation but he still had several tricks up his sleeve.

He seems almost bored rather than intimidated. Memories of Demyx and himself sparing when they were young nobodies developing the strength and control of their powers. He yawns his voice monotone, “I’m surprised you haven’t summoned your _guitar_ yet. What was its name again? _Apurgio_? If this is all you’re going to throw at me then call me when it’s over.” He calls over a chair with a flick of his hand and sits down crossing his legs, his hands neatly folded in his lap.

“Well_ teach_, you can tell me how well they hold together when I rip you apart with them.” Demyx golden eyes narrow and he starts moving the water clones in front of him. Ienzo wasn’t good at physical attacks. Demyx knows he can overpower the other with his clones.

At Ienzo’s last comment the water clones freeze. Demyx’s face becomes vacant. He doesn’t seem to respond at all to Ienzo summoning a chair. Slowly his head lowers until his eyes are no longer visible. “_Arpeggio.” _The name slips out, no more than a whisper, barely audible over the water dripping around the room.

“Not likely.” Ienzo spots an opening, he quickly launches himself forward out of his chair towards Demyx. He goes through the water clones easily, none of them causing him harm due to being… well water.

“Ohhh A-Prego. I didn’t realize you named a guitar after a cheap, tasteless brand of pasta sauce.” While Demyx’s guard is down Ienzo’s hands grip the nearest blunt object to swing. He attempts to try and nail him in the side. He hated physical fighting, he could do it, but he hated having his hands dirty.

Demyx lets out a grunt and genuine pain appears on his face. The metal pipe hits him squarely in the ribs. He begins to crumple forward. “_Sitar_,” He slowly looks up and meets Ienzo’s blue eyes with his now dull yellow eyes. He releases a whizz of a breath. “It was a sitar you _ass_.” 

The water clones around the room dissolve back into puddles of water. Demyx finishes his fall to the floor. His hands move to clutch his head. “And you named it.” Demyx is clearly struggling to breathe now, his breath is coming out in short gasps.

He… actually did it? Ienzo appears startled as Demyx crumples down to his knees. Ienzo took a step backwards, the pipe clattering to the ground. Adrenaline still races through his veins as his heart pounds. There was something in Demyx’s voice, genuine as he rasps out the remarks of calling him an ass. Could it be that he was starting to remember?

As Demyx looks up at him Ienzo can see his eyes fading and flickering from the controlled gold to his normal aquamarine. He must have dealt a serious enough blow for him to start gasping like that.

“You’re right…” Ienzo admits quietly as he takes a hesitant step forward this time. “_Arpeggio_.” He gently places a hand on Demyx’s shoulder, prepared for any sort of move Demyx may make. He takes a moment to mutter a few more words placing a charm on Demyx, allowing him to fall unconsciousness. It’ll give Ienzo a minute to assess the entirety of the situation and damage that the lab had endured.

“Say goodnight Demyx.”

* * *

_“Aw I don’t know Zex. I think I should name her ya’ know?” Demyx sighs laying down on the floor of the training room as Zexion tends to a small wound on his own leg._

_“It’s a sitar, you don’t need to give it a name.” The schemer admits, “it is a weapon, not a pet.”_

_“Well it’s the closest thing I have to a friend, so it needs a na-Ow! Hey! That hurt!” Demyx winces as Zexion moves to dab disinfectant onto the noctune’s cheek._

_“What about Arpeggio? You always seem to play in that sort of fashion.” He suggests idly._

_“A-prego? Uh Zexion, she’s a sitar, not a marinara sauce. Hey! Watch it!” Demyx whines again pulling away from the saturated medical cotton._

_“No, Arpeggio, the musica-forget it.” Zexion shakes his head making it to his feet._

_“I knew what you meant.” Demyx chuckles as he gets to his feet and summons his sitar, “Arpeggio, I like it.” He gives his superior a smile. A simple nod is given in return._

* * *

Demyx doesn’t fight off the hand on his shoulder he doesn’t seem to register it. After a moment he easily collapses into the shallow water on the floor. It’s unclear if Demyx heard Ienzo’s last words before falling unconscious. 

The lab is totaled. Everything that was lying on a table is broken and all the paperwork is completely soaked. The lower half of the ice wall is still standing in large chunks in the middle of the room. Water is dripping from the tables and there is about an inch of still standing water on the floor. It’s going to take a while to clean up this place.

Demyx is quite injured as well. His jaw is definitely starting to swell and bruise. Based on his breathing Ienzo had either badly bruised or broken one of his ribs. That or there was something _else_ wrong with Demyx’s chest impairing his breathing. To top it all off it wasn’t clear if Xehanort’s possession was gone or if his control had just been weakened in those last few moments. Demyx waking up still possessed was the worst possible scenario.

Regardless Demyx is asleep for now and will probably stay that way for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed chapter 1! Expect Chapter 2 in the next few days since it's already written. And let me know how you feel about evil nort'd demyx. Would you like me to pull out more threads with him?
> 
> PS. both titles are a reference. Don't know if the reference is obvious yet. But the next chapter title will definitely give it away


	2. The World Turned Upside Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demyx wakes up. But where is he? And why's Zexion here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next chapter were one thread. But I cut it in half so this chapter wouldn't be unreasonably long. And it means more chapters!
> 
> This chapter's title probably gave it away, but yes these are all Hamilton quotes. Dying's the easy part, living is harder. Is a Washington quote. "Oceans rise" Empire's fall. Is a quote from our wonderful King Henry. The rest of the chapters will also probably be Hamilton quotes. It actually started with this chapter. The other mun titled this thread the World turned Upside Down and so I wanted to have the first chapter match that.
> 
> Trans! Demyx head cannons show up in this chapter and will be mentioned on and off for the rest of the fic. Warning for mention of improper binding.

<https://schemingthroughdarkness.tumblr.com/post/178704797736/worlds-turned-upside-down>

Ienzo would be lying if he said the fight between him and Demyx hadn’t exhausted him. He sincerely desired to collapse after the scuffle. His hand had swollen purple from breaking his wrist against Demyx’s jaw, not even a hardening spell could stop the damage Ienzo did. Who knew, even while using magic if your form wasn’t correct you could still break bone. 

He had since relocated Demyx, with the help of Aeleus and Dilan, to a spare bedroom in the castle that hadn’t been used in years. Once his adrenaline ran from his system. He no longer had the fight or flight strength he had in their fight to carry Demyx himself.

He takes extra care to check Demyx over, his breathing still quite ragged and strained. Perhaps he had broken a rib? Ienzo delicately unzips Demyx’s coat to inspect the contusion. He grimaces at the realization that Demyx was still wearing a binder, and by the marks left by the band, he hadn’t taken it off in some time. Ienzo frowns, who knows how long the binder had been on him. He highly doubted Xehanort would have had the decency to take proper care of his vessels.

The apprentice looks behind him and back at Demyx. From his coat he produces a pair of scissors. Gently he cuts the binder dead center and gives him a look over while trying keep Demyx as modest as humanly possible. Good news the bruising didn’t seem to be coming from a broken rib, but the bad news was it came from excessive use of his binder.

He made it back down to the lab, water still soaking the floor, books, and equipment. There passes a sigh from his lips as he begins restoring it.

It takes several days of fanning out books, reports, and journals and drying some of the smaller equipment in rice to hopefully save something if not anything at all. The stench of wet books and electrical equipment filled the lab.

Demyx woke up to pain. Everything hurt, his legs and arms were stiff, his jaw was throbbing, and it even hurt to _breathe_.

_What happened? Where? _Demyx slowly blinks open his eyes to a sun lit room. The room as reddish brown walls and is well furnished. He’s lying on a bed in a room he’s never seen before.

_What? _Demyx tries to sit up. “Ow! Shit!” His chest feels like it’s on fire and he falls back down. Knocking what little air he had out of him. It takes a moment for his breathing to return to a slightly less painful level.

_Was I hit by a truck?? Why does it hurt so much? _Demyx struggles to remember anything from before he fell asleep. _“Good night Demyx.” _A slightly familiar voice was the only thing he could pull from his foggy brain.

_I need to find out what’s going on. _Slowly Demyx turns trying to roll on to his side and hold his weight with his arm. This seems to work as he experiences a lot less pain. It takes a lot of slow and careful movements, but finally he manages to sit up. Then it takes even more time for him to catch his breath after sitting up.

_Okay Demyx focus. I’m in a new unknown location. But I got this, just go through the steps. _Demyx looks down to see what the issue is with his chest. He’s wearing a thin white tank top and grey sweat pants. _Did someone change me?! _Quickly moving on Demyx notices the large nasty purple bruising all along his ribs on his chest. _Ouch damn guess I know where all the pain came from. _Demyx notes something else. He is starving and if the migraine is anything to go by he hasn’t drank anything in a while either.

Carefully Demyx stands. A quick check of his magic reserves tells him he is running on empty. From what he can sense there isn’t much water nearby either. _Okay I don’t know where I am, I can’t use any magic, I’m to injured to physically fight anyone, and I feel half starved._

“What a great start to the morning.” After Demyx is certain his legs can hold his weight he walks towards the door.

_Step one find food and more water. Step two find out where I am. Step three find out if I’m with enemies or friends. _Demyx got the feeling he wasn’t with actual enemies. They had clothed him and given him a bed. Then again so did the organization. _Step four avoid any inhabitants._

With a nod to himself Demyx quietly opens the door and shuffles out of the room. The hallway he enters has rusted metal walls.

“Ienzo,” A voice calls to him. Ienzo jerks his head up from the table he sat at, instinctively wiping his lip.

Oh, huh, he must have fallen asleep. _How long had he been passed out?_ Last time he checked the clock it was 6:32 A.M and he was in the middle of pressing one of the last books. He could have sworn he had blinked for only a moment. Now seeing the clock read 12:52 P.M he glances from the clock to the doorway. Aeleus stood tall as Ienzo gave him a gesture to continue.

“Demyx appears to be awake. He is no longer in his bed, Dilan reports he saw him wandering the hallways. What would you like me to do?”

“Ah,” Ienzo paused and shook his head giving Aeleus a gesture of dismissal. “Don’t worry about him, I’ll see that he’s doing alright.” He stretches and takes a stand. “Did Dilan know which hall he wandered down?”

“I believe it was the North East Hall.” Ienzo nods watching Aeleus returning to his post. The apprentice makes a quick detour to the kitchen grabbing some crackers and small deli meats and cheese as well as a glass of water. Ienzo figured he might be hungry seeing as he’d been out of service for at least a week and a half.

Ienzo moves down the corridors of halls he’d grown all too familiar with years ago. Finally he spots Demyx kind of supporting himself on a wall continuing to walk down the hall. He clears his throat signaling his presence, hoping not to spook him too terribly. “Demyx?”

Demyx has been walking down winding hallways for a while now. At one point he thinks he hears someone else walking around. He succeeds in avoiding them, but he has yet to find the kitchen. _A place this big has to have a kitchen right?_

He pauses for a moment to catch his breath. This is getting tiring quickly. Any chance of going back to the room vanished a few hallway turns back. Now Demyx's only choices were to keep blindly going forward or turn back and get lost in a different hallway.

He keeps a hand on the wall and continues walking. He has yet to fall on his face, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. Falling right now would suck, a lot. Suddenly someone calls his name from behind him. He turns too quickly and releases a hiss. That had pulled on his torso wrong. _Ouch, how did anyone sneak up behind me?_

Aquamarine eyes lock with one blue eye. “Zexion?” Of everyone Demyx expected to find in this place, Zexion hadn’t even been on the list. “You’re alive?” It made sense now. The familiar voice he had heard before falling asleep was Zexion. _But why was Zexion here? What happened? Why can’t I remember anything else?_

“You really shouldn’t be up walking around.” Ienzo admits taking a step closer, his posture relaxes at the sight of Demyx’s eyes. He gestures the plate of assorted food and the glass of water towards Demyx’s direction.

_So he really doesn’t remember any of it?_ He frowns, although a part of him was relieved at the notion.

“Its… Ienzo. I haven’t been Zexion… for a while now.” He manages standing in front of the blond nobody, he’s definitely almost matching in height since the last time Demyx saw him. “Why don’t we get you to sit down and eat something.”

“I couldn’t exactly stay alone in a room in a strange place, Zexion.” Demyx quickly takes the glass of water. Water was his first priority, then he would go after the food. He listens to Zex-Ienzo explain while sipping on the water.

“Ienzo.” Demyx tests the name. Seeing how it sounds rolling off his tongue. He would have to get used to calling Zexion that. Demyx nods. His entire body was screaming at him now. “Sitting down sounds nice.” Maybe then Ienzo would be able to explain some of this to him.

“Food sounds even better.” Demyx offers Ienzo a smile and relaxes. The foreboding sense of danger Demyx felt since waking up receded. This place was fine, Demyx was safe here.

“I assure you, nothing would have happened. Lex would have made sure of that.” He understands the fear though. His lips curl giving Demyx a genuine smile, not one he as Zexion would give, where there was a sarcastic tone to the look. Relaxed. Happy. Ienzo offers his shoulder for the man to lean on.

“Why don’t you tell me, what’s the last thing you remember?” Ienzo can sense the exhaustion Demyx was dealing with, each movement was jerky as they slowly walk to a common room.

Demyx is surprised by the genuine smile, but he appreciates it. Demyx gladly accepts the shoulder. It helps relieve some of the pressure and makes the walk back down the hallway easier.

“It’s hard to- to tell? Everything’s foggy. I-I know I died, but I also know there was something more after that?” Demyx pinches his nose for a second. “Everything’s so _dark_, I can’t tell what’s- sorry.” Demyx seems to give up. He really can’t remember what happened before he woke up in that room this morning.

Both of them made it to a common room, and Ienzo helped Demyx sit down without straining to much. He encourages him to eat by taking one of the crackers and biting it. “You don’t need to apologize.”

He looks saddened by the fact Demyx died. He knows how the darkness is cold and unforgiving as it grips at your entire being strangling you with the stench of darkness, the sight of nonexistence. Ienzo didn’t like to think much about it despite his two trips into that limbo of darkness.

“So I guess asking where all of that took place is irrelevant since you don’t recall much?”

Demyx sits back on the couch with a sigh of relief. “Yeah, I’m not getting up now.” Demyx bats Ienzo’s hand away from taking another cracker. He then starts eating the food on the plate.

Demyx looks up from the food he was munching on. “Where what? Where I died? I know I died at Hollow Bastion. I remember everything before that just fine. I just. . . I don’t know, I get this feeling there should be more _after_.” Demyx doesn’t know why he feels this way. He just knows things don’t seem to be lining up right.

Ienzo gives the blond a kicked puppy look when his hand is swatted away from the food. It’s almost comedic seeing as it’s a look Demyx would be known to have.

_Hollow Bastion_. Ienzo’s chest pulls, maybe it isn’t the best idea to tell him that he’s in Hollow Bastion but fully restored to Radiant Gardens. He had no idea that Demyx had died here, and most likely at the hands of Sora or Riku. _Probably shouldn’t tell him that we’re fighting alongside them too._

“I’m afraid I can’t give you much of an answer.” Ienzo kind of looks away, one hand fiddling with the brace on his slightly less swollen wrist. “All I’m aware of is that you were under the control of a man named Xehanort, and we fought…” His voice trails off. “And I may… have… punchedyouinthejawandhityouintheribswithapipe.” Eye contact? Ienzo doesn’t know her.

Demyx sighs and moves the plate to be more in Ienzo’s reach. “Sorry, but one of us hasn’t eaten in who knows how long.” Demyx frowns when it seems like Ienzo is going to avoid his questions.

“Xehanort?” That name sounded familiar. Demyx couldn’t place it but he knew he had heard it before. “I was possessed?!” That had not been the explanation he had expected.

Demyx easily follows Ienzo’s fast talking. “Punched me?” Demyx’s hand moved to the throbbing point in his jaw. “You punched me! And then you hit me with a pipe?!” Everything hurts and part of that was Ienzo’s fault apparently.

Ienzo reaches for another cracker and Demyx pulls the plate closer to himself, when he hears Ienzo was the one who assaulted him.

“I’m truly sorry! What else was I suppose to do?” Ienzo shoots back in a defensive manner, he really was sorry for the entire endeavor. “You were trying to kill me. We’re lucky we both walked away from it.” There’s a moment of silence until he continues a little quieter. “On the upside the majority of the damage is just some bruising; you didn’t end up with any broken bones.” Ienzo lifts his hand. “So I guess you can call it a win?”

Demyx frowns. He hates the idea that he was forced to fight the other organization members, especially Ienzo. “I’m sorry you had to fight me. I should have tried harder to stop this.” They are both quiet for a moment.

Demyx gives a dry snort. The “some bruising” hurt like hell. He is definitely glad he didn’t have any broken ribs on top of it. “I won? Yes! I mean oh no I was evil that’s bad_ nooooo_.” It’s a very sarcastic no.

Ienzo gives in and actually barks out a laugh at the sarcastic ‘nooo’ Demyx gives him. He’ll let him know another time that he kind of didn’t actually win the fight. He’d rather not hurt his pride.

“I’m not too worried about it. I can’t be too mad over the fact the entire lab was destroyed along with almost every project I was working on.” Ienzo feels himself get bitter about the situation and then shakes his head. “I’m sorry I hit you with a pipe and an enhanced punch charm.”

Demyx winces. “Shit I broke the lab? Man Vexen must be pissed.” Demyx expects Ienzo to just correct him with the somebody name at the comment. He has no recollection of what happened.

“It seems like we both messed things up. So call it even yeah?” Demyx had plenty of other questions, but he was starting to piece together most of what happened. “I still don’t know where this place is though. It definitely isn’t the Castle that Never Was.”

He makes no move to correct Demyx. Last time he checked Even was long gone and Vexen was still roaming around. “I’m in charge at the moment… Vexen’s been… MIA.”

“It’s not the Castle that Never Was, you’re right about that.” He gestures around the room, “This is the castle of Radiant Garden… I.. grew up here. I suppose you can call it my home?”

My home.

It wasn’t a foreign concept that the castle was his home, but saying it out loud was weird.

Demyx notices Ienzos strange wording about Vexen, but he’s too tired to push about it. “This is your home? Cool, you never mentioned you grew up in a castle. Does that make you royalty?” Ienzo being a prince is a weird thought. 

Ienzo gives a little shrug, “I suppose so? I’m not actually part of the monarchy.”  _I was only some kid who was scooped off the streets. _ Him, a prince. That was a strange concept even for Ienzo to process.

“So like a duke? That’s still cool.” Demyx grins, it is clear Ienzo is flustered at the concept of being royalty. _I am so calling him princey later._

“Sure, like a duke.“ He repeats the wording, flustered ridiculously by being royalty, Demyx was bound to make fun of him, and probably call him something like _ princey_ .

Demyx slouches back on the couch he is resting on. He had finished the plate of food a moment ago. It is probably a bad idea to try and eat more food right now. That doesn’t change the fact that Demyx still wants to eat more. “What do I have to do to convince you to go get another plate of snacks?” Demyx quickly weaponizes the puppy dog eyes Ienzo had used only a moment before.

Ienzo leans forward and scoops up the plate without hesitation. “You wouldn’t have to put too much effort into convincing me.” His eyes glance at Demyx giving him a puppy dog look, he refuses to smile at it. His lips still quirk upwards despite the attempts to not. With that he stands and begins to leave with the plate. “Don’t try and escape while I’m gone.”

Demyx was surprised, but glad Ienzo so easily agreed to get more food. He settles back after passing him the plate. “Don’t worry dude I’m not going anywhere.” He watches Ienzo leave and then looks around the room. It seems like a simple lounge area with a few more couches and chairs scattered around a huge coffee table. _Almost like the grey room, but with less grey. _

It’s not even five minutes after Ienzo leaves that Demyx’s eyes start to droop. He has figured out where he is, he has eaten something, and now he’s laying somewhere comfortable. Demyx passes out asleep on the couch.

Ienzo soon returns with some more food, actual sandwiches this time rather than the snacking he had provided earlier. Neatly trimmed sandwich triangles, because even Ienzo, a full grown man, likes his sandwiches without crust. It may have been the reason why he took a little longer than needed.

“Hey I’m ba-_aack.._.“ His voice lowers seeing Demyx passed out on the couch, poor dude couldn’t stay awake for long.

Demyx didn’t stir when Ienzo returned. In the time it had taken Ienzo to make the sandwiches Demyx had fallen into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized this chapter was a little on the short side. Sorry about that. But next chapter will have some wonderful hurt/comfort. So look forward to that!


End file.
